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Sequestration: White Sands Missile Range workers brace for furloughs

By Steve Ramirez / sramirez@lcsun-news.com

Updated:
03/01/2013 05:19:14 PM MST

LAS CRUCES — It was — but it wasn't — a regular work day Friday at White Sands Missile Range.

After weeks of debate but no action in Congress, sequestration began. Many of WSMR's 6,517 civilian Department of Defense and government contractor employees wondered what will be required to implement the federally mandated reduction in national defense spending. In its simplest terms, sequestration likely means all of those employees face as many as 22 days of unpaid furlough.

How and when it all starts to happen is not yet certain.

"We still don't know any more than we did yesterday or last week," said Monte Marlin, WSMR spokeswoman. "WSMR is, and will continue to be, about people who do the mission tasked to them, and we will continue to march. There is a lot of apprehension here. But we're going to do what we have to do within the confines, whatever those may be."

Congress failed Thursday to avert the start of sequestration. The U.S. Senate couldn't come up with enough votes, 51 of 60 needed, to bring the American Family Economic Protection Act of 2013 to the Senate floor for debate and discussion. The House of Representatives adjourned, but not before politicians blamed each other for the predicament that is expected to have a substantial trickle-down effect in New Mexico.

"...Our economy will not fall off a cliff, but we will begin tumbling down a hill with damaging consequences for middle-class families and small businesses," Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said.

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"It has already had a chilling effect on New Mexico's economy where the federal government employs people at our labs, on public lands, at military bases and more. I remain committed to finding common ground to stop these arbitrary across-the-board cuts from going into full effect and further hurting our state."

A frustrated Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., added, "Limping from one self-made crisis to another is no way to govern. The people of New Mexico, and people across the country, deserve better from their elected representatives, and I hope Democrats and Republicans can come together to work out real and stable solutions."

Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who last week predicted that an extension would be passed to prevent sequestraton from taking effect, also vented.

"Washington desperately needs to reign in its out-of control spending, but the sequester — with its automatic cuts to national security — is not the solution we need," Pearce said. "I have opposed the approach from the beginning, because it weakens vital national security, and is damaging to New Mexico."

A full-fledged sequestration, with a 22-day furlough for WSMR employees could amount to a reduction of as much as 20 percent of their gross pay. Gary Giebel, site director for Army Research Laboratory operations at WSMR, said town hall meetings are expected to begin as early as next week for the 230 employees in his agency, as well as all other affected WSMR employees.

"No decisions have been made yet," Giebel said. "Whatever White Sands does we're going to follow suit. ...We're all between the proverbial rock and the hard spot, and sequestration is going to be felt to varying degrees. But we're going to do our jobs until we're told otherwise."

Steve Ramirez can be reached at 575-541-5452. Follow him on Twitter @SteveRamirez6

SEQUESTRATION

• Sequestration, a mandatory reduction of all federal budget accounts that were not exempted, went into effect at midnight Friday.

• By federal law, it will last 10 years and cut $1.2 trillion.

• As many as 6,517 civilian and government contractor employees at White Sands Missile Range could be furloughed as much as 22 days a year.

• The vast majority of WSMR's civilian employees live in Las Cruces.

• WSMR's annual economic impact is $834 million and includes: $781.9 million in payroll and contracts; $40.5 million in construction contracts; and $11.2 million in what it pays for utilities.

• Sequestration's potential annual economic impact on the Las Cruces city government is estimated at $640,000.